


Making Do

by MissTangle



Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies)
Genre: (This is not great and I'm sorry), Christmas, Cookies, Ethan is hopeless and in love, Hot Chocolate, Kissing, M/M, Nighttime, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 10:31:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17160350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissTangle/pseuds/MissTangle
Summary: Team Hunt's Christmas plans are ruined thanks to a mission. Now Ethan and Benji are alone in a safe house on Christmas Eve, and Ethan is set on making sure that there's still some Christmas spirit to go around.





	Making Do

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know, I've already written a Christmas fic this year! But that one was unintentional, and I posted it way too early, so it only seemed right to try and come up with another one to celebrate on the actual day of Christmas! I hope you enjoy this silly short Christmas present of a fic.

Missions around the holidays were never ideal, but there's no rest for the wicked, as they say, so they were often an unfortunate reality for the IMF. Christmas seemed especially unfair, but Ethan knew it had to be done. The rest of his team had agreed with only minimal complaining, most of which had come from Benji, who was quite irritated that his quiet Christmas traditions of baking far too many desserts and meticulously wrapping gifts had been interrupted. Ethan had gotten an earful of it throughout the day, but now that the two of them had returned to the safe house for the night, Benji was unusually quiet.

Ethan had noticed the strange feeling that now hung in the air. It was a mix of the usual magic of Christmas Eve and the disappointment of spending Christmas Eve practically alone in a safe house in a foreign country far from home. Ethan was supposed to be hosting a Christmas party for his friends tonight. They were supposed to be drinking champagne and exchanging gifts and making bets on who would get a kiss under the mistletoe. Now it was just him and Benji and the soft snow falling outside. Benji stood at the window, staring out at the snowy sky, looking almost sad. Ethan, hovering in the kitchenette, found he couldn't stand the sight.

They deserved at least a little Christmas cheer. _Benji_ deserved it. Ethan was determined to make sure he got it.

He rummaged through the cabinets and the bags he'd brought for anything he could use to produce a little holiday spirit. He came up with cocoa and a package of ginger snaps — meager offerings, but Ethan hoped that it would be enough. Benji wandered over as Ethan finished up the cocoa and leaned against the counter. “Look at you, still trying to be festive.”

Ethan smiled slightly and handed Benji his mug. “It is Christmas Eve, after all.” He took a drink of his own cocoa. “We don't have to ignore it just because we're on a mission.”

Benji laughed, just a little, but it was music to Ethan's ears. He couldn't keep himself from smiling at the sound. He grabbed a ginger snap and bit into it in an attempt to hide his joy. “Not as good as yours,” he sighed, waving the remaining half of the cookie at Benji. “But I guess they'll have to make do for tonight.”

Ethan had to quickly bite down on the rest of the cookie to keep from laughing as Benji carefully selected a ginger snap and began scrutinizing it with the careful eye of a devoted home baker. He scoffed at the cookie when his inspection was complete and bit it in half in a manner Ethan could only describe as annoyed. “Disappointing, to say the least,” he muttered at the half still in his hand. “They don't even have a proper crisp edge. They should be ashamed to carry the name of ginger snap.”

This time, Ethan couldn't contain his laughter. Benji looked up from his cookie, smiled when he met Ethan's eyes, and quickly dissolved into laughter as well. They kept at it until Ethan was no longer entirely sure what had been so funny, but he knew that he'd give anything to make sure that Benji could laugh like that forever.

As they slowly recovered, Benji wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, Ethan trying not to stare too obviously, the clock in the living room struck midnight. The pair fell silent, meeting each other's eyes in the low light.

“Happy Christmas, Ethan.” Benji's voice was low and soft.

Ethan swallowed carefully. “Merry Christmas, Benji,” he whispered back. Then, before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned across the counter and pressed his lips to Benji's. He held the kiss for a heartbeat before pulling back slowly, hoping he hadn't just made a terrible mistake.

Benji was silent for a moment, then the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile. “I think if there had been mistletoe involved in that, Luther would have become a rather rich man.”

Ethan laughed quietly, nervously. He wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. “So…”

Benji shook his head. “You're ridiculous.” He leaned forward suddenly and met Ethan's lips again, hands coming up to rest on Ethan's face, holding him there in a kiss he wished could last forever.

He was more than willing to make that wish and a thousand more. Christmas is the season for miracles, after all.


End file.
